2
“Why is this prisoner more valuable than the others?”
“Because he was the one who organized many of the rebels in this city. Who ensured the splinter groups began to work together. And who learned our enemies’ weaknesses. His mind is a wealth of knowledge. Knowledge we need.”
I studied Vicer’s face. The man I’d known had changed. He was sterner now. And when he laughed, he often cut his laughter off suddenly, as if he’d remembered he shouldn’t feel joy.
“Why are you doing this? You’re not one of the hybrids.”
“We’ve all lost those we love to the king’s greed.”
Vicer’s expression had turned cold. Obviously, he wasn’t going to say anything more.
“There’s another problem,” I said. Reaching into my back pocket, I pulled out the piece of parchment with my face sketched onto it.
Vicer studied the parchment. “Says here you have blond hair. We can fix that. I also know someone who can take care of those eyes,” he said. “Maids are invisible, and no one would expect a wanted criminal to be in the castle. Keep your head down, use that terrifying power of yours when you have to, and you’ll be fine.”
His confidence eased the worst of my own worries. It was easy to see just why Vicer had stepped into his role here.
Margie took our plates from us and walked away to wash them.
Vicer got to his feet. “I’ll show you to your rooms.”
I nodded. I was more than ready for a moment alone.
We trailed after him, back into the gloomy entrance. Clearly, it was supposed to be gloomy—another way for it to blend in with the other homes in the slum. Vicer led us upstairs to a long hall. “All these rooms are being used,” he said, and one of the doors opened. A tall, thin man stepped out, nodding at us.
I tensed, still instinctively wary about being recognized. But neither Vicer nor Tibris seemed worried.
“This is Jeronth,” Vicer said. “Jeronth, this is Prisca and Tibris. They’ll be staying here for a few days.”
“Nice to meet you,” he said. His eyes met mine and darted away. But not before I caught the hopelessness in them.
Vicer glanced at me. “Most of the people here have experienced incredible loss. The kind of loss that breaks you. Working with the rebellion…it’s the only reason some of them have to keep breathing.”
I could understand that.
We climbed another set of stairs, which led to a large common room. A few people were reading, and a couple of women talked softly in one corner. But my gaze landed on the group of men eating a snack.
It felt like years ago that I’d eaten with Tibris and Mama in our home. For a moment, I wished with everything in me that I could go back to that time once more. That instead of trying everything I could to find a way to hide my power, I’d been appreciating my family and friends. That I’d looked for the signs that Asinia had power too. That I’d spent more time with Mama.
My regrets were piling so high, it felt as if they would bury me alive.
“Prisca?”
“Hmm?”
“Through here.” Vicer nodded toward a slight, dark-haired girl with brilliant blue eyes. “This is Ameri. She’ll take you to the narminoi. She’ll charge you for it, though.”
Ameri nodded at me.
I still carried the hunter’s purse. I hadn’t even counted how many coins he had, but hopefully it would be enough.
I had much more to learn, and if my plan was going to have the best chance of success, I needed to know the truth. Not just a few tidbits. All of it.
* * *
Dear L,
The man I have sent you is the best at what he does. Do try not to scream too loudly when the spell takes.
My sources tell me the woman you were traveling with stoked more passion than they’d seen from you for years. I find myself intrigued by the kind of woman who could distract you from your brooding.
Her power must be impressive for you to be able to get into the city. Describe that power for me, please.
Emara sends her regards. And also wishes to know about this woman you refuse to discuss.
In the meantime, try not to get killed. I’d hate to have to plan your funeral when I’m already so busy.
Your older, wiser brother,
C
“Lorian?”
I pulled my attention away from the letter and swept my gaze over the men standing in the cramped room. I knew who my brother’s sources were, and their expressions ranged from guilty—Marth, to belligerent—Rythos, to grave—Galon. Cavis was staring out the window.
It was no use telling them not to message my brother about Prisca. If I told them not to advise him about something we encountered on the road, or a plan I created without his approval, all of them would take that information to their graves. And yet, when it came to gossiping about women in my life…
I shook my head at them and scrawled my reply.
Dear C,
No, the girl did not stoke more passion in me than anything else has in years. But your interest is noted. Tell your wife I don’t need her meddling in my life. Although, the moment she’s ready to leave you for me, I’ll be waiting.
Our mutual friend has been spotted in Thobirea. I have various thoughts about the subject, but will wait for yours.
Your younger, stronger, and infinitely better-looking brother,
L
Raucous laughter sounded from outside our door as a group of men walked past. The inn we were staying in was more comfortable than anything we’d used while traveling, but still noisy, and I missed the comforts of my room. Missed my own space.
The wildcat would say I missed having time to brood.
That kiss…her body had melted for me. There was something incredibly arousing about a woman who loathed and wanted me in equal measure. I couldn’t help but imagine what that passion would be like in bed.
“Lorian?” Rythos gave me a knowing look. I ignored it.
“Has our contact arrived?”
“He’s downstairs. I have to ask… Are you sure this will work?”
“No,” I growled. “But I am sure that this is our only chance. Our families are relying on us to get into the castle. This is the closest we’ve been to such an opportunity in years.”
Rythos nodded, his gaze flicking to the vials we’d collected on our travels—from both the stone hags and the fae at the Gromalian border. The vials waited, ready to be used—the most valuable items any of us owned in this moment.
“Do you think Prisca is on a ship already?” Cavis asked. It was rare for him to care about anything other than his wife and baby, and I turned my head. He was staring down at the street below us, eyebrows lowered.
“Her brother would have insisted,” Rythos said.
I just shook my head. No one could drag that little wildcat on to a ship if she didn’t want to go. But if there was one thing she did have, it was a healthy sense of self-preservation. She wasn’t a fool, and she wanted to stay alive.
Even when she wasn’t here, she was distracting me.
Rolling to my feet, I glanced at Galon. He nodded, his own gaze thoughtful as he picked up the vial.
“Bring him up here,” I said, and Rythos strode out the door.
Soon, we’d be in the castle, ready to complete our task and finally return home .
A few minutes later, the door opened, and the fae pushed his heavy cloak off his head, revealing his pointed ears. It was dangerous for him to be here, so close to the city, but all of us were in agreement about this plan.
The fae bowed his head in greeting. “Are you sure about this?”
“Yes.”
He didn’t bother asking me again, just held out his hand for the first vial. Galon handed it over, his gaze still on each precious drop.
“This will hurt,” the fae said.
“I understand.”
“Sit on the bed, please.”
I gave him a look, and he just shrugged. “Your legs will fail you. I’ve seen it time and time again. Everyone downstairs will be alerted when you fall like a tree in the forest.”
I could imagine the way Prisca would laugh if she’d heard that.
And thinking about the little wildcat did nothing to improve my mood. I pushed her out of my head and nodded at the fae.
“Fine.”
I sat. He opened the vial and dipped his thumb into the crimson liquid. He painted runes on my face, runes that burned .
Then he began to chant.
I threw back my head as agony erupted throughout my body. Magic ignited, and I bit my fist, smothering the urge to roar. It felt as if my body were being burned alive. If I didn’t know this fae, didn’t know just how closely our goals aligned, I would have slit his throat.
I almost laughed at the thought. My vision had darkened, and I was likely too weak to stand. I wouldn’t be slitting anyone’s throat.
The taste of copper filled my mouth. Galon began a steady stream of curses. I smiled despite the pain. It wasn’t often that he reacted to anything these days.
The fae reached for the second vial and chanted some more. If I’d been able to take a full breath, I likely would have screamed—a fact that darkened my mood even further.
Finally, it was done. And I was left as weak as a newborn. Galon leaned over me, brow creased.
“He should rest,” the fae said.
I managed to turn my head, finding the fae swaying on his feet.
“Get him a room,” I ordered. My voice was hoarse, weak. The sound of it annoyed me.
“Thank you, but I should go.” He bowed his head. “May the gods be with you during your task.”
* * *
Tibris’s low laugh sounded, and I glanced up from where I’d been sitting in the corner while he talked with some of the other rebels. On my lap, a few pieces of parchment summed up my new life and background. Later today, Vicer would be testing both Tibris and me to ensure we could answer any question he threw at us without hesitation.
I didn’t have it in me to socialize right now. I was too busy staring into space, going over everything I’d learned during the past two days.
I missed the mercenaries. Which was ridiculous, because they’d probably already completed whatever nefarious task had brought them to the city, and now they’d be moving on to whatever came next for people with no allegiance to anything but coin.
That wasn’t fair. They had allegiance to one another too.
The truth was, I’d studied them enough that I was relatively sure they were planning something big. And there was none of the excitement or anticipation I would’ve expected if it was something that would make them wealthy beyond their wildest dreams. No, they’d mostly radiated a grim determination.
Vicer appeared, and the room went quiet. He just nodded his hello, strolling over to me and gesturing to Tibris.
“Come with me.”
He led us into an office off the common room and leaned against the large wooden desk.
“Your work papers are finished. A carriage will pick you up tomorrow afternoon,” Vicer said. “Pris, you’ll go by the name of Setella. It’s your job to map the castle as much as you can. I’ll help you with your plans, but I have to remind you again. We have never gotten anyone out.”
Tibris nodded grimly. “We know.”
I didn’t like the look Vicer gave my brother. As if he was already mourning his friend. I glowered at him, and he seemed to snap out of it, returning to business once more.
“Tibris, you’re going to be in the wine cellar. We had to work hard to ensure you’d be placed there, and it’s an excellent opportunity for us. We have an idea about where the entrance to the dungeon is, but you’ll need to confirm.”
I swallowed, my pulse tripping at the danger my brother would face. “And the guards?”
“The guards’ schedules haven’t changed at all over the last few years. We had one of our people befriend two of those guards last year before he had to flee to avoid a random check. According to him, the guards are rarely in the dungeon itself unless they’re feeding the prisoners or bringing in someone new. There are always two guards posted on the dungeon door, which, until now—” he smirked at me “—has been more than enough security. The posted guards always have an active combat power.”
I forced my voice to stay steady. “So we just have to find a way to get all the prisoners past those guards.”
Vicer’s gaze turned distant. “According to numerous sources, there’s a tunnel leading into the castle, and the entrance is somewhere in the dungeon. If we can find the entrance and the tunnel is still clear, we can use it.”
My mouth dropped open. “A tunnel? Why would Sabium leave such a vulnerability?”
“One of his ancestors built it a couple of centuries ago, and it hasn’t been used since. Sabium prefers to have his corrupt marched through the city on their way to their deaths. Likely the only reason the tunnel still exists is because the king keeps his prisoners so weak and docile, even if there were a prison break, there’s no way they would be able to make it to the end of that tunnel before the guards caught them—not unless they were being carried.” Distaste flashed across Vicer’s face. “If you can get into the dungeon, your job will be to find the tunnel and figure out where it ends.”
The tiniest spark of hope ignited in my chest. We could do this.
“I don’t need to remind you to be careful with your words,” Vicer said.
“We will.”
“All messages should be in code. And burned immediately. Make sure you’re not followed back here—”
“Vicer,” Tibris said. “We know. We’d never do anything to risk you or the others. You know that.”
Vicer looked back at him for a long moment. Finally, he nodded.
“Ameri is waiting to take you to the narminoi. Tomorrow, we’ll make sure you’re disguised appropriately, check your papers, and you’ll be in.”
I took a deep breath. “Thank you, Vicer.”
“Thank me when you get out of there. Alive.”
I nodded, walking out and giving Tibris a couple of minutes with his friend.
Ameri leaned against the wall. “I spoke to my contact. We need to go now.”
Tibris stepped through the door. Obviously, he hadn’t known what to say to Vicer. “I’m coming with you.”
We followed Ameri down the stairs. She was a quiet woman, and I’d only been with the rebels for an afternoon, but already I’d noticed her slipping in and out of rooms unnoticed. She just seemed to fade into the background.
“What magic do you have?” I asked when we opened the front door.
She shot me a look. “Guess.”
“Something to do with the way you never seem to be where we’re expecting you to be?” Tibris asked dryly, and she smirked.
“Maybe. Our contact is a few streets over. But just so you know, narminoi have a tendency to stay in the past. They sometimes forget to live in the present. Even before the king ordered them to be wiped out, they wrestled with insanity. She may not be able to respond to your questions.”
“Margie warned me. She said she had to put things together after she’d talked to the narminoi multiple times.”
There was a high chance this visit would be a waste of time. Still…if I could get even one scrap of helpful information, it would be worth it.
By the time we’d traveled deeper into the slums, I was breathing through my mouth. Beggars huddled on every corner, although most of the people walking past them looked too poor to spare even a single copper themselves. Children ran barefoot on the cold ground, and each person we passed carried with them an air of hopelessness.
All the magic in this city, and yet the poorest citizens would likely have had better lives in the villages.
Ameri turned into a small potions shop. I glanced at the labels on some of the bottles, and my stomach roiled. Even the most powerful people in our villages could never hope to have enough magic left over to create potions. The merchants who came to our village brought with them brightly colored water and fake charms.
But here, the people had so much magic, they were selling potions to grow back thinning hair, to find a lost heirloom, to increase luck.
“Are these real?” I croaked.
“Of course they’re real,” a high-pitched voice said, and I turned to find a short woman with her hands on her hips. The blue mark on her temple would have made it clear she had her magic back, even if I hadn’t seen the lines next to her eyes.
“Ignore her,” Ameri told the woman, shooting me an exasperated look. “We’re here for Lanos.”
“Out the back.” The woman gave me another dark look before turning and stalking away.
Ameri led us to blue door, which opened into a room filled with wooden crates. A weathered man sat on one of those crates. He wore a filthy, ripped cloak and scuffed boots, and he launched to his feet when we walked in. I clamped my hand around the hilt of my knife, and he went still.
“I mean you no harm,” he said carefully. “I was expecting one person.”
Ameri sighed. “This is Prisca and her brother Tibris.”
Lanos just nodded. Leaning down, he pushed a crate aside, revealing a hidden door in the floor. “We need to go through here,” he said. “You’ll have to crawl. It’s narrow.”
Just looking at the small space made my chest tight. Already, it felt as if the walls around me were closing in, ready to suffocate me.
“I’ll bring the narminoi back here,” Tibris murmured to me.
Ameri’s gaze hardened as she watched me, silently judging. “If you truly want to work in the castle, you better get used to this. Rebels are the rats creeping in tunnels beneath the city, in secret passages within the castle. If you’re going to stay alive, you’ll need to master that fear. Besides, you’ll need to use the tunnels tomorrow with Vicer.”
I swallowed, humiliation making my cheeks heat. “I can do it.”
Tibris hesitated. Ignoring him, I stalked to the open door.
“Wait,” Tibris said. “He goes first.” He pointed at Lanos. “Then you.” He nodded at Ameri.
She just sent him a shrug and a placid smile. “Fine.”
Within a few moments, I was staring down at the ladder and beneath it to where Ameri’s feet had just slipped out of sight.
People were buried in graves this narrow.
Tibris had decided he’d follow me to “guard my back.” Part of me wondered if it was so he could soothe me if I lost my mind halfway.
Lorian’s voice played through my mind.
“Every time I think you’re about to stop being a scared little mouse and actually reveal the woman I believe you are, you prove me wrong. Well, sweetheart, we don’t have time for your insecurity or self-doubt.”
I loathed that I’d let the cold mercenary into my head. But he was right. We didn’t have time for my insecurity. Or my self-doubt.
Sucking in a deep breath, I forced myself to think about anything except the tiny space below us.
Asinia. Think of Asinia.
That helped. If she could suffer in the king’s dungeon, I could do this.
I began counting off the seconds as I lowered myself down the ladder. Prickles of dread traveled from the back of my neck down my spine. My eyes met Tibris’s, and he gave me a reassuring smile.
Why couldn’t I have been afraid of anything except small spaces?
I made it to the bottom of the ladder, moving aside so Tibris could come down too. My heart tripped over its next beat until it was racing fast enough, it was as if I were sprinting, fleeing for my life.
Dropping to my knees, I peered into the tunnel. Ameri’s feet were barely visible in the gloom, but the fact that I could see them meant the tunnel couldn’t be as long as I’d imagined.
Tibris landed behind me. “We don’t have to do this.”
“Don’t coddle me.” If I was going to be the kind of person who could break Asinia out of the king’s dungeon, I could no longer afford weaknesses. I needed to conquer my fears. Needed to become hardened to such things.
Tibris turned silent.
I sighed. “I’ve…come to realize that in these kinds of situations, I respond better to impatience and the implication that I’m a coward than I do to soft words and encouragement.”
“Well, that’s not entirely healthy, but if it’s what you need…”
More silence. Tibris cleared his throat, obviously searching for an insult.
I hadn’t thought I’d have it in me to laugh at a time like this, but giggles burst from me. Even when asked to treat me with disdain, my brother couldn’t do it.
“We’re losing sight of them,” he said finally, and I huffed out another laugh. If that was all Tibris had, I’d take it.
The dirt floor was rough beneath my hands and knees. The walls around me were so close, my head brushed against them a few times. My pulse galloped. Exactly how long would it take to die down here if the exit was blocked?
“You’re doing great, Pris. Ah, I mean, move faster, you weakling.”
His voice had turned miserable by the last word, and I awkwardly reached behind me, squeezing his hand. “It’s okay. You don’t have to be mean to me. It’s enough that you’re here.”
Besides, I was suspecting I only responded to taunts from a certain gruff, endlessly amused mercenary. And that was just depressing.
“I’ll always be with you,” Tibris said.
Because we were all each other had. Because of me. Sometimes, the grief and guilt expanded inside me until I could barely breathe.
“We’re here.” Ameri’s voice echoed down the tunnel.
Echoed because the tunnel was longer than I’d thought. I shuddered, and for an awful moment, bile burned up my throat.
No. I could do this. This was nothing compared to what Asinia was going through right now. I kept crawling, attempting to ignore the feel of dirt beneath my hands and knees.
Eventually, the tunnel opened into a small hollow carved out of the dirt. We were still underground, but we could stand if we bent almost in two. An old woman sat on a rickety-looking crate against one wall. Several tunnels branched from the hollow, and in the corner, another ladder led back up to what was likely another store or someone’s house. That was our best escape route if the tunnel were to collapse.
Lanos leaned against one of those ladders and nodded at me. I turned and studied the old woman. She was blind, her lips were cracked and dry, and her clothes dirty and torn. Fury poured through me at her condition.
Ameri cleared her throat, and I glanced at her. She stiffened at whatever she saw on my face. “We’ve tried,” was all she said.
I crouched in front of the woman. “My name is Prisca,” I said softly.
“Hello, Prisca.” The woman’s voice was soft, almost childlike. She smiled, and despite her cracked teeth, it was a sweet smile. “My name is Ivene.”
“Hello, Ivene.”
“You’ve come to learn about the past.”
“Yes. If you wouldn’t mind telling me.”
She reached her hands up, and I held myself still as she used them to trace my face. “You’re a beautiful woman.” She smiled, and it was sadder. “It won’t make your life any easier, you know.”
I smiled back, keeping my voice gentle. “I thought you saw the past, not the future.”
“You don’t have to be a seer to know life is kind to no woman, even those who are blessed with beauty.”
“Can’t argue with that,” Ameri said. My lips twitched. We shared a look, and for the first time, I felt her thaw a little toward me.
“Will you tell me of the king? And the hybrids?” I asked, but Ivene was already turning away, her head angled as if she was listening to someone.
“I told you not to talk to me while I am speaking to others.”
Ameri sighed but gestured for me to wait. Eventually, Ivene turned back toward me.
“The king. The king, the king, the king.” She cackled, and the sound seemed to rip through the air. “Siiiit. You should make yourselves comfortable.”
We sat at her feet, and she tipped her head back. When she spoke, her voice was different . No longer childlike, now it was deeper, as if someone else were speaking through her. I shivered.
“Get to the prince, your mother said. But you ignored her. When will you focus on your task, Prissss-caaaa?”
I opened my mouth, but she’d already turned away again, speaking gibberish. Her hands slammed to her ears. “Be quiet,” she roared.
I looked at my brother. He stared steadily back. Those who looked both forward and backward were destined to lose their minds to their gifts. Ivene was likely somewhere between ten and twenty winters older than Mama. Had she lived, this would have been her future.
Was Tibris right, and that was why she’d let herself die by that river?
Ivene was sitting back on her crate. She waited until we were all looking at her once more—I still couldn’t understand how she knew such a thing—and then she smiled that sweet smile once more. “Ask your questions.”
I had so many, I didn’t know where to start. But I focused on Asinia. “What do you know of the castle? The royal family? What’s the best way for us to get someone out of the dungeon?”
“Shhhh.” Ivene hushed whatever voice she could hear. “This is important.” She faced me again. “In order to understand the elite, you must become like them. The queen has long been lonely, afraid, weak .”
I folded my legs under me. “What do you mean?”
“Shhhh,” she said again. But whatever she could hear obviously refused to quiet, because she turned and screamed, high and long. Her face flushed red, and Tibris gave me an unhappy look.
I couldn’t just give up. If she could see the past, maybe she could see what decisions the royals had made. The security the king had in place. And potential weaknesses in that security.
“When we leave the castle, which route will give us the highest chance of survival? Where can we go?”
Ivene sighed, obviously weary. But her mouth curled into a gentle smile. “I can’t see the future.”
“I know. But…given what you can see…is there anything you can tell us?”
“The gods are very interested in what you do next.”
Fuck the gods. I took a deep breath. “Thank you for your time.”
“Wait,” Tibris said. “I just have a couple of questions. If it’s okay.”
Ivene turned, shushing whomever she could hear once more. But this time, she laughed playfully, waving her hand at the empty air. When her attention returned to us, Tibris cleared his throat. “The people who raised us…was I taken by them too?”
Something that might have been sympathy creased Ivene’s brows. “No, child. You were born of the people you called Mama and Papa.”
Tibris kept his expression neutral. All those games of King’s Web had paid off. I couldn’t tell how he felt about that.
“And Prisca? Why did my mother take her from her birth parents?”
She gave him a sweet smile, as if he’d finally asked the right question. And then she turned to me.
“There are some things I can’t tell you yet. Things you must learn when the time is right. But I can tell you this… You were just three winters old. If you had been in your bed that night, you would have died. The man you called your papa did everything he could to take those memories from you, but eventually, you will begin to remember.”
A dull betrayal slipped beneath my skin. My papa—who I’d thought could do no wrong—had been using his power on me for my entire life.
“Where are my birth parents now?”
“I can’t see that. I can only see what has been.” Ivene held out her hand to me. I took it. Her skin felt as fragile as paper in mine. “But occasionally, the gods whisper warnings in my ear.” She laughed at me. “And I know just what you think of those gods.”
I opened my mouth, but she just shook her head.
“One day soon, you will have to make a choice. Be a torch for just one soul in the dark…or burn like the sun for all of them.”